The Zrinyi II 40/43M L20.5 had a 105 mm Howitzer. 60
were built by Weiss Manfred Factory and probably 6 more by Ganz
Mavag. Several were available during the Battle for Budapest
unfortunately not enough. The last one was blown up by its crew
(24th. AG Batt.) in early May in Bratislava.
Following the disaster of the 2. Hungarian Army on the Don in
January 1943 and under influence of the German success with assault
guns on the Eastern Front, the Hungarians decided in April 1943 to
build assault artillery vehicles and gave that task very high
priority. Two versions were planned to equip the assault artillery
battalions of the new assault artillery troops: Zrinyi I with a
long 76mm anti-tank gun, and Zrinyi II with a l05mm howitzer. A
total of 8 assault artillery battalions were planned, each with 30
vehicles, to be used as independent army or corps troops for the
support of infantry divisions.
The 105 mm 40/43M L/20.5 Howitzer
In December 1942 the Manfred Weisz company had already finished
a prototype Zrinyi II with a 105mm 40/43M howitzer made by MAVAG
Dios-Gyor. This howitzer was a modified version of the MAVAG
developed 105mm 40M towed field howitzer, 236 of which were built
during the war. The maximum range of this weapon was 10.4km. The
Zrinyi II used the chassis of the Turan tank, which had been
widened by .45m to make room for the weapon. The engine was
identical to the Turan. The Zrinyi II prototype was taken to the
artillery training range at Hajmasker in Western Hungary and tested
between Dec. 12/42 and Jan. 28/43. As a result, this vehicle was
accepted for production and designated 43M Zrinyi II assault
howitzer (rohamtarack), later to be changed to 43M Zrinyi 105
assault howitzer. The Zrinyi I used the same chassis and engine,
but mounted the MAVAG Diosgyor developed 75mm 43M L/43 anti-tank
gun of the Turan III tank. Development was initiated in May 1943,
but a prototype was not completed until the winter of 1943/44 and
production was planned for June 1944 at Manfred Weisz and Ganz.
Service designation of the vehicle was 44M Zrinyi I assault gun
(rohamagyu). The name Zrinyi comes from Nikolaus Graf Zrinyi, a
Hungarian hero who fought the Turks, and was killed in the battle
of Szigetvar in 1566.
Zrinyi II Production
As a consequence of the decision of April 1943 a contract was
immediately placed at Manfred Weisz for 40 Zrinyi vehicles. The
number was later raised to 104 vehicles to be built by Manfed Weisz
and Ganz (54 each in 1943, and 50 in 1944). To save time, training
of the first assault artillery troops began in July 1943 at
Hajmasker using 10 Turan II and 10 Toldi IIA light tanks, but in
August 1943 the first 5 Zrinyi IIs arrived. (1. Assault Artillery
Bn.). A total of 60 Zrinyi II vehicles were completed by Manfred
Weisz when production stopped in July 1944, and it is possible, but
not confirmed, that Ganz completed a further 6 in August and
Sept/1944. These vehicles were used to equip the 1. and 10. Assault
Artillery Bn., whereas other Hungarian assault artillery bns were
equipped with the German StuG. III and Hetzers. Production of the
Zrinyi I was never initiated, and the single prototype was used for
trials only. Thus in Nov. 1944 it underwent trials with six 152mm
rocket launchers mounted, at Hajmasker.
The Zrinyi II in Battle
The Zrinyi II went to war with the 1. Assault Artillery Bn. in
April 1944 in Galizia, and its first recorded use was July 14, 1944
at Ottynia, eastern Galizia. The vehicles fared well during the
subsequent fighting, but they lacked a real anti-tank capacity. In
Sept./44 the Zrinyi IIs of the 10. Assault Artillery Bn. took part
in the battle of Torda on Hungary`s southern border, and later,
Zrinyi vehicles saw action at various places in Hungary proper.
Zrinyi II can be considered the most successful Hungarian AFV of
WW2. Zrinyi II vehicles were fitted with radios (probably R/5a
type) and in the latter part of 1944 most vehicles were fitted with
German type skirt plates. It carried 52 rounds of ammunition. The
war production plan for 1944/45 was for 240 Zrinyi vehicles.
THE HUNGARIAN TURAN TANK AND ITS VARIATIONS
By J.C.M. Probst
From the January 1977 issue of AFV NEWS
Fascinating article about an Axis AFV that I was unaware of.
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